Travellers who pitched up on a playing field in Burrs Road, Clacton on Monday are facing court action after the group failed to move on despite being served notice to leave.

The group, made up of two caravans, three vehicles and three tents, arrived and set up camp on the playing field opposite the Burrs Road cemetery.

The group was issued a direction to leave notice by Essex Countywide Traveller Unit – the task force which attends all traveller camps in the county – giving the group 24 hours to move.

But the group failed to move on, meaning a legal summons has now been issued, as Tendring District Council attempts to recover its land. A date at Colchester Magistrates Court has been set for Tuesday.

Paul Honeywood, Tending District Council’s cabinet member for housing, said he was disappointed that the group had not complied with the notice.

“We are now left with the situation of taking court action and the expectation is that the travellers will move either just before, or on the day of, the court date,” he said.

“It is a shame that they did not move off within the 24 hours – as did the group that had set up an encampment on Council land off St Johns Road in Clacton.”

The Burrs Road encampment is the latest in a string of traveller camps to emerge in Tendring since Easter, with three in the last fortnight in Clacton.

On Friday, July 21, a group of seven caravans and multiple vehicles set up on a playing field in St Johns Road, prompting a flurry of complaints from residents to the council.

A direction to leave notice was issued to the group, based behind Whitehall Academy and Clacton Coastal Academy, on Tuesday, with the group leaving within the 24-hour timeframe.

A further group which had been based on privately owned land in Coppins Court also moved on earlier in the week.

The issue has raised questions over what measures can be taken, although both Tendring District Council and Essex Countywide Traveller Unit have to follow a formal procedure which includes welfare checks.

Mr Honeywood said direction to leave notices had already been issued earlier in the year, and added: “It is much quicker than if we have to wait for a court hearing. It shows that the process we follow does work.”